Former child star Christina Ricci was horrified when news of her secret battle with anorexia was leaked to the press - because the then-teenager had been desperate to keep her troubles a secret until she had recovered.

The Monster star was fighting to get healthy when the media learned of her issues, and she admits the fall-out was traumatising.

She tells Britain's Marie Claire magazine, "Somebody actually found out about it (her anorexia) and outed me while I was recovering. It was a horrifying thing to do to a 14-year-old trying to cope with a devastating illness."

But Ricci reveals the shocking incident taught her a valuable lesson - and she's been living her life as openly as possible ever since to avoid being "outed" again.

She says, "Out of rage, I vowed that no one would ever be able to out me for a secret again. So I was going to be completely honest in the rest of my life. I don't want to be hurt in that way again."

And the actress, now 32, is glad to have moved past her troubles - because her life is now drama-free.

She adds, "I'm so glad I'm not 20 years old any more. I was in a hurricane. I'm a lot calmer now. I don't cause destruction for myself and others everywhere I go. I take things as they happen and I've learned to be calm about things. Troubleshoot problems as they arise and make the best out of things."